Telephone units are staple items in everyday business and personal life. The requirements for users can vary widely. Manufacturers have attempted to accommodate users by providing interchangeable wall mount and desk mount configurations. Due to the preferences of the individual user, however, it is impractical to produce a telephone console which offers a single angular orientation that is suitable for all users. As a result, some telephone units are provided with multiple component stands. Such stands require the user to assemble the various components to achieve the desired console inclination angle. Other telephone units include single element stands where the user attaches a specific stand to achieve a particular inclination angle. For single element stands, the user must maintain a set of replacement stands to change the console orientation in the future.
Wall mounted telephone units require structure to retain the handset when not in use. Typically, a handset hook is provided in a fixed position so that the hook engages a complementary portion of the handset preventing the handset from falling out of the cradle. Telephone units frequently include handset hooks which can be removed or placed in a different configuration to avoid interference with the handset in the cradle. To remove a handset hook which is otherwise flush with the cradle surface, a recessed area is provided immediately adjacent the end of the handset hook. This permits access to the hook by a user's fingers or an extraction tool. When the hook is removed, the hook can be lost or damaged before it can be replaced in the unit. In addition, the handset hook can be inadvertently damaged by the user in the wall mount configuration. If the user returns the handset to the cradle with excessive force, the hook can fracture or break.